The present study investigated the effect of thermal ageing of several wood varnishes on film characteristics. For this purpose, alkyd, two-part polyurethane (urethane-alkyd), and water-borne (self-cross-linked polyurethane) varnishes were applied on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Eastern beech (Fagus orientalis L.), and sessile oak (Quercus petraea L.). The test samples had 8% or 12% moisture content. The samples were then thermally aged for 25, 50, 75, and 100 days at 25, 50, 75, and 100°C. The decrease in adhesion strength of the varnish layers and the loss in surface gloss were determined in accordance with the ISO 4624 and ISO 2813 standards. The results of the study indicated that thermal ageing caused a decrease in the adhesion strength and gloss values.


Transport costs are an important determinant of smallholder welfare in developing countries. In particular, transport costs influence the prices that smallholders receive for their produce. We propose a simple way of quantifying this influence. Taking the example of bean producers in Nicaragua, we employ a hedonic price model to estimate the effects of a smallholder's proximity to markets on the prices that he/she receives, while controlling for other factors such as the volume and quality of beans sold. We find that on average each additional minute of travel time reduces farm gate prices by 2.5 cents per quintal. Based on these results, the annual income from bean sales of the average smallholder in our sample would increase by between 24 and 110 USD if travel time to markets were reduced by 25%. Estimates of this nature can make an important contribution to cost–benefit assessments of infrastructure investments.


We study the properties of fractional differentiation with respect to the reflection symmetry in a finite interval. The representation and integration formulae are derived for symmetric and anti-symmetric fractional derivatives, both of the Riemann–Liouville and Caputo type. The action dependent on the left-sided Caputo derivatives of orders in the range (1,2) is considered and we derive the Euler–Lagrange equations for the symmetric and anti-symmetric part of the trajectory. The procedure is illustrated with an example of the action dependent linearly on fractional velocities. For the obtained Euler–Lagrange system, we discuss its localization resulting from the subsequent symmetrization of the action.


This paper studies the Laplacian spectrum and the average effective resistance of (large) graphs that are sampled from graphons. Broadly speaking, our main finding is that the Laplacian eigenvalues of a large dense graph can be effectively approximated by using the degree function of the corresponding graphon. More specifically, we show how to approximate the distribution of the Laplacian eigenvalues and the average effective resistance (Kirchhoff index) of the graph. For all cases, we provide explicit bounds on the approximation errors and derive the asymptotic rates at which the errors go to zero when the number of nodes goes to infinity. Our main results are proved under the conditions that the graphon is piecewise Lipschitz and bounded away from zero.


Turkey is one of the most important walnut producers in the world. The aim of this study to select superior walnut genotypes among the walnut seedling populations naturally grown in Gumushacikoy district of Amasya province located in Inner Anatolia between 2010-2011 years. In the study, a large number walnut genotypes in Inner Anato- lia were screened according to selection criteria and after evaluation twenty promising walnut genotypes were selected as cultivar candidate among genotypes. The average fruit weights, kernel weights and kernel ratios were ranged from 8.93 to 13.92 g, 4.62 to 7.36 g and 47.80 to 58.98% among twenty promising walnut genotypes, respectively. Measure- ments of fruit dimensions showed that the average fruit length, width and heights were found between 42.80-29.97 mm; 25.73-34.77 mm and 28.86-33.85 mm, respectively. Considering 20 promising walnut selections, 11, 5 and 4 genotypes had been found pro- tandry, protogyny and homogamy. The chemical analyses showed that protein, crude oil and ash contents of selected twenty walnut genotypes were between 13.75-19.69%; 44.08- 70.81% and 1.53-2.15%, respectively.


Juvenile dermatomyositis is an autoimmune vasculopathy affecting children and adolescents, principally between the ages of four and 16 years. Its main clinical manifestations are symmetrical proximal muscle weakness, elevated serum muscle enzymes and the presence of cutaneous lesions, such as heliotrope and gottron's papules. Herein we describe a case of juvenile dermatomyositis with a precocious time of onset at 18 months of age, notably presenting with severe ulcerative cutaneous lesions and vasculopathy likely due to gastrointestinal involvement, which required immediate treatment with immunosuppressants.


E. M. KLEINBERG. Strong partition properties for infinite cardinals. Ibid., vol. 35 (1970), pp. 410-428. This paper investigates partition relations of the form K —>• (*)" , where K and y are cardinals, a is an infinite ordinal, and a g K. The notation K —»• («)" means that if the collection of all subsets of K which have order-type a is partitioned into y pieces, then there is a set A £ K such that A has cardinality K and all its subsets of order-type a lie in the same piece of the partition. Since all such relations contradict the axiom of choice, the investigation is carried out in Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory without choice. It is shown that if A is regular and K -»• (K)2 + 1 , then K is measurable and, moreover, the filter generated by the A-closed and unbounded subsets of K is a normal ultrafilter on K. An analogue of Rowbottom's partition theorem for normal ultrafilters on measurable cardinals is also obtained under somewhat stronger hypotheses. There are numerous other results, most of which either connect different partition relations or else derive the failure of such relations from weak versions of the axiom of choice. Every proof is given in two forms, first in informal outline and then as a detailed formal proof. This makes the paper much easier to read, since the informal outline is usually sufficient to convey the proof to the reader. The following typographical error should be corrected: Page 415, lines 19-20, for "2" cannot be mapped 1-1 into K," read " K cannot be mapped 1-1 into 2." JAMES E. BAUMGARTNER


Introduction: Herbal medicines are usually preferred for the treatment of skin ailments in comparison to conventional form of medicines due to their safety, low cost and compatibility. But the poor absorption of herbal drugs limits their use in the treatment of various skin ailments. To challenge this problem, active principles of plants have been encapsulated into several nanocarriers like nanoparticles, liposomes or other phospholipid formulations. Materials and Methods: In the present study, vesicles of purpurin-phosphatidyl choline (Pr-PC) complex were prepared and evaluated for the anti-aging activity. For this, initially the complex of Pr with PC was prepared and characterized by thin layer chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The complex was converted into vesicles by film cast method. The prepared vesicles were characterized and subjected for in vivo studies to evaluate anti-aging activity. Anti-aging activity of Pr-PC vesicles were compared with plain Pr and Pr-PC complex in ultraviolet-induced oxidative stressed mice model. Results and Discussion: The results of in vivo studies showed the enhanced anti-aging effects of Pr-PC vesicles than other formulations. The increased effectiveness of Pr-PC complex and Pr-PC vesicles may be due to their amphiphilic nature, which enhances the water and lipid miscibility of the Pr. The Pr-PC vesicles were found to be better than Pr-PC complex. This is because of the reduced size of the Pr-PC complex when converted into vesicles. Conclusion: Based on the present study, it can be concluded that the Pr-PC vesicles are superior over Pr–PC complex and plain Pr, in terms of providing enhanced anti-aging properties. Thus, Pr-PC vesicles shown a tremendous potential in enhancing topical delivery of Pr.


In this paper, we study a two-hop half-duplex relaying network with one source, one destination, and three amplify-and-forward (AF) relays equipped with M antennas each. We consider alternate transmission to compensate for the inherent loss of capacity pre-log factor 1/2 in half duplex mode, where source transmit message to two relays and the other relay alternately. The inter-relay interference caused by alternate transmission is aligned to make additional degrees of freedom (DOFs). It is shown that the proposed scheme enables us to exploit 3M/4 DOFs compared with the M/2 DOFs of conventional AF relaying. More specifically, suboptimal linear filter designs for a source and three relays are proposed to maximize the achievable sum-rate. We verify using some selected numerical results that the proposed filter designs give significant improvement of the sum-rate over a naive filter and conventional relaying schemes.


Recent advances in breast cancer treatment have made recognition of different prognostic groups mandatory. In addition, further experience with screening-detected lesions has resulted in the definition of new associations. Therapeutic approaches to these frequently microscopic lesions are currently the source of much debate. This article reviews recent studies of excellent-prognosis carcinomas as well as premalignant and other histologically defined lesions that indicate an increased risk for the development or recurrence of carcinoma. Advances in fine-needle aspiration and in hormone receptor assays are also reviewed.


Serious Games, along with the various definitions they entangled and the multifaceted approaches they benefitted from in relation to their applicability, are and still gain ground in becoming a resourceful educational material provided they are used as a means to an end, the educational objectives per se. What research still has to cover is a rethinking of all the elements in terms of educational effectiveness, given this landmark has got new dimensions with the 21st century.
While The European Union 2020 Strategy document \\\\\\\"New Skills for New Jobs\\\\\\\" recognizes the need to equip learners across Europe with skills and competences required by the workforce, Serious games offer new ways of learning which are highly consistent with these competence-based approaches to learning, reflected in modern theories of effective learning. Serious games have the potential to support the acquisition of all of these competences. Subsequently, in deploying Serious Games on the realm of education and training, special tools will be claimed as mandatory in order to both know what game to use, when and where, for what reasons, but also how to measure the gain at the end of a training sequence.
This paper documents new perspectives on Evaluation metrics and taxonomy in Serious Games , with metrics to look at educational effectiveness of a game from all perspectives embedded, at usability characteristics and their importance, while our view on taxonomy aims at rendering a useful tool for different types of users, goals, learning outcomes, contexts, a tool that enhances a better uptake of games into education once different perspectives and various information is available. The new three-dimensional taxonomy for Serious Games along with an ongoing vision into building metrics for SG educational effectiveness are the result of the first year of work in GaLA (Game and Learning Alliance) NoE (Network of Excellence) financed under the 7FP; Such tools for a multi-faceted end-user from educator to student and labour market stakeholder, from corporate to industria will eventually contribute to a standardized vision over what educational effectiveness represents in the context of Serious Games.


On 26 May 1994, US President Bill Clinton signed the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act in to law, which federally criminalized acts of obstruction and violence towards reproductive health clinics. The law was a reaction to the increasing violence toward abortion [2] clinics, providers, and patients during the 1990s. That violence included clinic blockades and protests, assaults on physicians and patients, and murders. The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act established criminal and civil penalties against people who obstructed or committed violence towards reproductive health clinics, and has supported women's access to safe reproductive healthcare.


Abstract Viruses are highly ordered supramolecular complexes that have evolved to propagate by hijacking the host cell's machinery. Although viruses are very diverse, spreading through cells of all kingdoms of life, they share common functions and properties. Next to the general interest in virology, fundamental viral mechanisms are of growing importance in other disciplines such as biomedicine and (bio)nanotechnology. However, in order to optimally make use of viruses and virus‐like particles, for instance as vehicle for targeted drug delivery or as building blocks in electronics, it is essential to understand their basic chemical and physical properties and characteristics. In this context, the number of studies addressing the mechanisms governing viral properties and processes has recently grown drastically. This review summarizes a specific part of these scientific achievements, particularly addressing physical virology approaches aimed to understand the self‐assembly of viruses and the mechanical properties of viral particles. Using a physicochemical perspective, we have focused on fundamental studies providing an overview of the molecular basis governing these key aspects of viral systems. This article is categorized under: Biology‐Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus‐Based Structures Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To analyze and evaluate clinical features that define complex dentoalveolar trauma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Forty-five patients, with a mean age of 36.1 years, were included in the study; most patients were male (82.2%). The main clinical features defining dentoalveolar fractures were evaluated, including the status of the tooth, alveolar socket and adjacent soft tissues and their relationships with tooth loss. The relationship between splinting and tooth loss was also studied. The data were analyzed using descriptive and statistical methods.

RESULTS
A significant relationship was observed between the different clinical variables and tooth loss, in particular the status of the alveolar socket as the most relevant clinical factor; there was also a significant relationship between splinting and tooth loss, as this was the main protective factor.

CONCLUSIONS
Tooth loss prognosis following complex dentoalveolar trauma is related to the clinical features of the fracture, particularly the status of the alveolar socket and the possibility of using splinting as treatment.


My paper reviews the significance of the term community in attempts to understand the social and human dimensions of computer-mediated communication in light of the current dominance of self-interested social networking as the primary form of internet use. Exploring the two ways in which place has been used to articulate the relationship of individuals and collectives, the paper proposes the necessity of moving instead to explore time and rhythm in a world where networks are 'everywhere and nowhere', thus rendering space a consequence of our temporal synchronicities, rather than a precursor


Introducing heavy atom perturbers such as iodine and bromine with σ-hole⋯π or π-hole⋯π bonds into cocrystals is an effective way to induce phosphorescence in the design of new luminescent materials containing rigid and planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with large conjugated π-electron systems. The bonding donors usually used such as halo- or multihaloperfluorobenzenes possess both a σ-hole and a π-hole. One question is under what condition do σ-hole or π-hole bonding, or both, occur? It is proposed that in some cases the geometry of the bonding donors should be one of the key factors, besides the difference of molecular surface electrostatic potential (SEP) of the σ-hole and π-hole, and the interaction energy, in influencing bonding patterns in cocrystals. That is, a thicker multi-haloperfluorobenzene ring (caused by a larger halogen atom radius) is not beneficial to π-hole⋯π bonding. However, a multi-haloperfluorobenzene, due to its larger size, can reach the vertically adjacent π-system in a π-hole⋯π bonding pair to produce a typical above-plane σ-hole⋯π bond, or directly produce a σ-hole⋯π bond without a π-hole⋯π bond, as the SEP of a σ-hole is 65 kJ mol−1 higher than a π-hole. Therefore, four cocrystals of Pyr-TIPB (1), Pyr-TBrPB (2), Phe-TIPB (3) and Phe-TBrPB (4) were prepared. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, computation of SEP and interaction energy reveal that the very typical σ-hole⋯π bonding in Pyr-TIPB (1) and Phe-TIPB (3) has priority over π-hole⋯π bonding and other interactions because of the larger size and thicker TIPB, while π-hole⋯π bonding in Pyr-TBrPB (2) and Phe-TBrPB (4) has priority over σ-hole⋯π bonding and other interactions because of the smaller and thinner TBrPB. Moreover, red phosphorescence of pyrene in cocrystalline Pyr-TIPB assembled by halogen bonding was observed for the first time under UV-365 at room temperature because of the typical above-plane C–I⋯π bond.


The Cultural Capital of Europe project aims to highlight and promote culture of a specific region in Europe during a calendar year. Umea was chosen to become the Capital of Culture in 2014 and highlight the northern corner of Europe. A new "Open source" approach with the objective to increase participation and co-creation of different actors in the cultural capital year was introduced. This study examines media descriptions of the Samis and alternative cultural groups' participation in the Cultural Capital year. Both quantitative and qualitative methodological tools were used to analyse descriptions of these groups' in digital articles from local newspapers. The findings indicate of widespread discontent with how these groups were represented in the Cultural Capital year. The Samis were described as being excluded from planning but included in the implementation of the programme. The alternative cultural groups were instead described as being included in the planning but excluded from participation in the programme year. The relations between these groups and the organisers were analysed in terms of hegemony. The results indicate the relations being in balance at the beginning of the year but started to weaken at an early stage.


Hyperketonemia is a metabolic disease in dairy cows, associated with negative nutrition balance (NNB) induced by low dry matter intake (DMI) and increased nutrient requirements. Hyperketonemia could induce metabolic stress, which might indirectly affect mammary tissue. Autophagy is a highly conserved physiological process that results in the turnover of intracellular material, and is involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis under the challenge of metabolic stress induced by NNB. The aim of this study was to investigate the autophagy status and autophagy-related pathways AMP-activated kinase α (AMPKα) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the mammary glands of dairy cows with hyperketonemia. Cows with hyperketonemia [CWH, n = 10, blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration 1.2 to 3.0 mmol/L] and cows without hyperketonemia (CWOH, n = 10, BHB < 1.2 mmol/L) from 3 to 12 DIM were randomly selected from the herd. The mammary tissue and blood samples were collected from these cows between 0630 and 0800 h, before feeding, at 3 to 12 d in milk. Serum concentrations of glucose, BHB, and fatty acids were determined using an autoanalyzer with commercial kits between 0630 and 0800 h, before feeding. Concentrations of fatty acids, BHB (median and interquartile range: CWH, 2.44 and 1.3, 2.82 mM; CWOH, 0.49 and 0.41, 0.57 mM), and milk fat were greater in CWH. The DMI, glucose concentration, milk production, and milk protein levels were lower in CWH. The mRNA abundance of autophagosome formation-related gene, beclin 1 (BECN1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit type 3 (PIK3C3), autophagy-related gene (ATG) 5, ATG7, ATG12, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (MAP1LC3, also called LC3) and sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1, also called p62) were greater in the mammary glands of CWH. The protein abundance of LC3-II and phosphorylation level of Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) were greater in CWH, but the total ubiquitinated proteins and protein abundance of p62 were lower. Transmission electron microscopy showed an increased number of autophagosomes in the mammary glands of CWH. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of AMPKα was greater, but the phosphorylation of mTOR was lower in the mammary glands of CWH. These results indicate that activity of mTOR pathways and autophagy activity, and upregulation of AMPKα, may be response mechanisms to mitigate metabolic stress induced by hyperketonemia in the mammary glands of dairy cows.


In this work, experiments were conducted to quantify the mechanical properties and microstructure of friction stir welded (FSW) 6061 aluminum alloy butt joints. In particular, strain-control experiments were carried out to characterize the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) performance of the FSW joint and a microstructure-sensitive fatigue model was used to elucidate structure-property relationships. Under fatigue testing, two distinct modes of failure were observed. In the first case, the fatigue cracks initiated and propagated though the heat affected zone, which is due to material softening as a result of the frictional heat generated by the FSW process. The second mode of failure observed was when the fatigue crack initiated and propagated through the stir zone, as a result of inappropriate material mixing. Additionally, results of this study show a strong dependence on the tool rotational rate, where the monotonic tensile and cyclic mechanical properties increased as the tool rate increased. However, experimental results showed that the increase in the mechanical properties were observed to level off or in some case decline as the tool rotational rate continued to increase. This behavior is due to several factors including welding defects and higher frictional heat. In order to further understand the effect of microstructure and welding defects on fatigue behavior, a multi-stage fatigue (MSF) model that incorporates incubation and crack growth regimes was implemented to capture the effect of variation in tool rotational speeds. The MSF model exhibited good correlation to the experimental results, suggesting that the multi-stage approach for modeling fatigue damage in FSW joints is a reasonable approach. Furthermore, the model appears to capture the underlining mechanisms associated with damage in this type of welded joint.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Recent years have seen great success in the use of neural seq2seq models on the text-to-SQL task. However, little work has paid attention to how these models generalize to realistic unseen data, which naturally raises a question: does this impressive performance signify a perfect generalization model, or are there still some limitations?
In this paper, we first diagnose the bottleneck of text-to-SQL task by providing a new testbed, in which we observe that existing models present poor generalization ability on rarely-seen data. The above analysis encourages us to design a simple but effective auxiliary task, which serves as a supportive model as well as a regularization term to the generation task to increase the models generalization. Experimentally, We evaluate our models on a large text-to-SQL dataset WikiSQL. Compared to a strong baseline coarse-to-fine model, our models improve over the baseline by more than 3% absolute in accuracy on the whole dataset. More interestingly, on a zero-shot subset test of WikiSQL, our models achieve 5% absolute accuracy gain over the baseline, clearly demonstrating its superior generalizability.


ABSTRACT Recent instrumental deployments of regional observation networks of atmospheric CO2 mixing ratios have been used to constrain carbon sources and sinks using inversion methodologies. In this study, we performed sensitivity experiments using observation sites from the Mid Continent Intensive experiment to evaluate the required spatial density and locations of CO2 concentration towers based on flux corrections and error reduction analysis. In addition, we investigated the impact of prior flux error structures with different correlation lengths and biome information. We show here that, while the regional carbon balance converged to similar annual estimates using only two concentration towers over the region, additional sites were necessary to retrieve the spatial flux distribution of our reference case (using the entire network of eight towers). Local flux corrections required the presence of observation sites in their vicinity, suggesting that each tower was only able to retrieve major corrections within a hundred of kilometres around, despite the introduction of spatial correlation lengths (~100 to 300 km) in the prior flux errors. We then quantified and evaluated the impact of the spatial correlations in the prior flux errors by estimating the improvement in the CO2 model-data mismatch of the towers not included in the inversion. The overall gain across the domain increased with the correlation length, up to 300 km, including both biome-related and non-biome-related structures. However, the spatial variability at smaller scales was not improved. We conclude that the placement of observation towers around major sources and sinks is critical for regional-scale inversions in order to obtain reliable flux distributions in space. Sparser networks seem sufficient to assess the overall regional carbon budget with the support of flux error correlations, indicating that regional signals can be recovered using hourly mixing ratios. However, the smaller spatial structures in the posterior fluxes are highly constrained by assumed prior flux error correlation lengths, with no significant improvement at only a few hundreds of kilometres away from the observation sites.


Reactivation and dysregulation of the mTOR signaling pathway is a hallmark of aging and chronic lung disease, however the impact on microvascular progenitor cells (MVPC), capillary angiostasis and tissue homeostasis is unknown. While the existence of an adult lung vascular progenitor has long been hypothesized, these studies show that Abcg2 enriches for a population of angiogenic tissue resident MVPC present in both adult mouse and human lungs using functional, lineage and transcriptomic analyses. These studies link human and mouse MVPC specific mTORC1 activation to decreased stemness, angiogenic potential, disruption of p53 and Wnt pathways, with consequent loss of alveolar-capillary structure and function. Following mTOR activation these MVPC adapt a unique transcriptome signature and emerge as a venous subpopulation in the angiodiverse microvascular endothelial subclusters. Thus, our findings support a significant role for mTOR in the maintenance of MVPC function, microvascular niche homeostasis as well as a cell-based mechanism driving loss of tissue structure underlying lung aging and the development of emphysema.


Actual evapotranspiration is assessed via surface energy balance at an hourly rate. However, a robust estimation of daily evapotranspiration from hourly values is required. Outcomes of surface energy balance are frequently determined via measures of eddy covariance latent heat flux. Surface energy balance can be applied on images acquired at different times and spatial resolutions. In addition, hourly actual evapotranspiration needs to be integrated at a daily rate for operational uses. Questions arise whether the validation of surface energy balance models can benefit from complementary in situ measures of latent heat flux and sap flow transpiration. Here, validation was driven by image acquisition time, spatial resolution, and temporal integration. Thermal and optical images were collected with a proximity-sensing platform on an olive orchard at different acquisition times. Actual latent heat fluxes from canopy and sap flux at tree trunks were measured with a flux tower and heat dissipation probes. The latent heat fluxes were then further analyzed. A surface energy balance was applied over proximity sensing images re-sampled at different spatial resolutions with resulting latent heat fluxes compared to in situ ones. A time lag was observed and quantified between actual latent heat fluxes from canopy and sap flux at the tree trunk. Results also indicate that a pixel resolution comparable to the average canopy size was suitable for estimating the actual evapotranspiration via a single source surface energy balance model. Images should not be acquired at the beginning or the end of the diurnal period. Findings imply that sap flow transpiration can be used to measure surface energy balance at a daily rate or when images are found at an hourly rate near noon, and the existing time lag between the latent heat flux at the canopy and the sap flow at the trunk does not need to be taken into account.


Abstract Extensive research has demonstrated increased levels of blood metal ions caused by corrosion or wear of the metal after prosthetic implantations. However, metal ion levels in the joint fluid immediately after prosthetic implantation have not been investigated. We measured the concentrations of metal ions in the joint fluid immediately after total knee arthroplasty in seven patients. Fluid specimens from the joint were obtained from the suction drain 3 days after the operation. We determined the levels of Ni2+, Co2+, Cr3+, and Fe3+ using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP–AES). Six of the seven patients exhibited high levels of Fe3+, which may have been derived from the accumulated hemoglobin of the red blood cells released following postoperative hemorrhage. Ni2+ ions could be detected in one patient, and Cr3+ ions in another. These ions are probably the result of mechanical friction between the bone-saw and the cutting guide during osteotomy. We further investigated the effects of metal ions on bone-resorbing cytokine production by synoviocytes and bone marrow macrophages in vitro. The results clearly indicated that the metal ion levels detected in the joint fluid specimens were sufficient to stimulate production of these cytokines. Finally, it should be emphasized that the metal ions detected in the joint fluid in the early stages after prosthetic implantation potentially produce bone-resorbing cytokines and possibly cause subsequent periprosthetic osteolysis.


Motivated by applications in biological science, we propose a novel test to assess the conditional mean dependence of a response variable on a large number of covariates. Our procedure is built on the martingale difference divergence recently proposed in Shao and Zhang (2014), and it is able to detect a certain type of departure from the null hypothesis of conditional mean independence without making any specific model assumptions. Theoretically, we establish the asymptotic normality of the proposed test statistic under suitable assumption on the eigenvalues of a Hermitian operator, which is constructed based on the characteristic function of the covariates. These conditions can be simplified under banded dependence structure on the covariates or Gaussian design. To account for heterogeneity within the data, we further develop a testing procedure for conditional quantile independence at a given quantile level and provide an asymptotic justification. Empirically, our test of conditional mean independence delivers comparable results to the competitor, which was constructed under the linear model framework, when the underlying model is linear. It significantly outperforms the competitor when the conditional mean admits a nonlinear form.


We show how a combination of virtual reality and robotics can be used to beam a physical representation of a person to a distant location, and describe an application of this system in the context of journalism. Full body motion capture data of a person is streamed and mapped in real time, onto the limbs of a humanoid robot present at the remote location. A pair of cameras in the robots eyes stream stereoscopic video back to the HMD worn by the visitor, and a two-way audio connection allows the visitor to talk to people in the remote destination. By fusing the multisensory data of the visitor with the robot, the visitors consciousness is transformed to the robots body. This system was used by a journalist to interview a neuroscientist and a chef 900 miles distant, about food for the brain, resulting in an article published in the popular press.


Given the significance of female education for development, there is an enormous need for data across countries that can be used to inform policy discussions within and among individual countries. Nowhere, perhaps is this need greater than in sub - Saharan Africa (SSA) where female participation in education is inordinately low, and where disparities between females and males vary greatly among countries. the report previewed in this article responds in two ways to the need for statistics on female education. First, it defines statistical indicators that can be used to describe the level of female participation and the disparities between males and females in education systems. As one form for these indicators, the report introduces the concept of the gender ratio as a generic tool for comparing male and female participation in education across all indicators used to assess the performance of education systems. Second, the report presents data from existing sources for the forty-six countries in sub - Saharan Africa.


Controllable design and synthesis are a great challenge to the fabrication of micro-/nano-structures of electrode materials in heterogeneous electrocatalysis. Herein, by virtue of an inorganic-MOF-inorganic (IMI) two-stage precursor approach, novel ultrathin CuO decorated Cu–C hybrid nanorod arrays supported on carbon fiber cloth (CFC) have been developed as highly efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and exhibit a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 340 mV in 1.0 M KOH, ranking as one of the best copper-based OER catalysts. Further experimental results indicate that the ultrathin cupric oxide overlayers and special nanorod array morphology are crucial to boosting the electrocatalytic activity, which provides a new train of thought for utilizing low-cost and eco-friendly copper-based materials in energy storage/conversion.


Gastrulation constitutes a fundamental yet diverse morphogenetic process of metazoan development. Modes of gastrulation range from stochastic translocation of individual cells to coordinated infolding of an epithelial sheet. How such morphogenetic differences are genetically encoded and whether they have provided specific developmental advantages is unclear. Here we identify two genes, folded gastrulation and t48, which in the evolution of fly gastrulation acted as a likely switch from an ingression of individual cells to the invagination of the blastoderm epithelium. Both genes are expressed and required for mesoderm invagination in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster but do not appear during mesoderm ingression of the midge Chironomus riparius. We demonstrate that early expression of either or both of these genes in C.riparius is sufficient to invoke mesoderm invagination similar to D.melanogaster. The possible genetic simplicity and a measurable increase in developmental robustness might explain repeated evolution of similar transitions in animal gastrulation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18318.001


The present study assesses ship hull response of a platform supply vessel due to impact from falling objects. This is carried out primarily by investigating the critical energy absorption and localised deformation to penetration of the deck structure subjected to impact by a falling container. This is made possible by conducting contact simulations with the nonlinear finite element solver Abaqus/Explicit., i.e. explicit time integration of elemental equations of motion by use of the central difference method. Absorbed energy is quantified by integrating the obtained deck resistance/contact force with respect to the deformed distance/indentation. For simplicity the container is assumed infinitely rigid, i.e. kinetic energy from impact is solely absorbed by the deck. A comparison is made between two steel configurations (conventional ship building steel and Hardox steel) to investigate the possibilities for improved strength, as this can decrease the risk of damage infliction to a liquefied natural gas fuel tank located beneath deck. Det Norske Veritas rules and standards for application in accidental limit state design are reviewed with particular interest in recommended procedures for dimensioning hull structural members to withstand impact loads. The principle of shared energy dissipation between two colliding bodies is presented analytically. Dimensioning load from a dropped object can be determined, e.g. based on the maximum load capacity of an eventual deck crane. Recommended further, is the application of nonlinear finite element analysis. A variety of simplified fracture models are reviewed, with specific interest in their ability to predict ductile failure of metal alloys. Dependence of stress triaxiality, plastic stress-strain relation, geometry and size, and strain rate is investigated in relation to the different models. Nonlinear material behaviour is defined in the finite element model, including true stress-strain relations, strain rate dependence and fracture criteria. The onset of fracture is modelled by introducing an empirical element length-related constant strain fracture criterion in the material definition for conventional steel. Applications of fracture criteria for Hardox steel were not discovered. This led to the narrow definition of one constant value for strain to fracture, as specified in the obtained material parameters. Adjusting yield strength due to strain rate dependence is included by application of the Cowper-Symonds constitutive equation. Parameter variations of strain rate coefficients clearly show large uncertainties in the estimated resistance force-indentation relation. Analytical methods for estimation of resistance in plastic collapse and crushing of structural members are applied in comparison with numerical results. Satisfying results are found in the absorbed energy estimates provided by simplified methods concerning in-plane crushing of web girders. Although not completely accurate, these methods provide physical understanding on how to increase the crushing resistance of girders by increasing web thickness. This is namely because the plastic moment capacity is quadratic dependent on the plate thickness. Hardox steel provides significantly increased capacity in energy dissipation to penetration. However, the specific degree of increase should be verified by further simulations. Experiments of different scale can be compared with numerical analyses, in the aim of discovering a well suited fracture criterion and specifying coefficients applicable in the Cowper-Symonds equation.


Purpose Many patients diagnosed with lymphoma are of working age. Cancer patients are known to have a higher risk of sick leave and disability pension, but this has only been delineated for certain subtypes of lymphoma. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the overall risk of disability pension for all lymphoma subtypes and at quantifying return to work for patients with lymphoma in work before diagnosis. Patients and Methods Patients aged 18–60 years with lymphoma in complete remission (CR) diagnosed between 2000 and 2019 were included in the study. Using national registers, each patient was matched with five comparators from the general population with same sex, birth year, and level of Charlson Comorbidity Index. Risk of disability pension was calculated from 90 days after CR or end of treatment with competing events (death, retirement pension, early retirement pension, relapse for patients, or lymphoma diagnosis for comparators). Return to work for patients was calculated annually until 5 years after diagnosis for patients employed before diagnosis. Results In total, 4072 patients and 20,360 comparators were included. There was a significant increased risk of disability pension for patients with all types of lymphoma compared to the general population (5-year risk difference: 5.3 (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.4;6.2)). Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma were more likely to get disability pension than patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (sex- and age-adjusted 10-year risk difference: 2.9 (95% CI: 0.3;5.5)). One year after diagnosis, 24.5% of the relapse-free patients were on sick leave. Return to work was highest 2 years after diagnosis (82.1%). Conclusion Patients with lymphoma across all subtypes have a significantly higher risk of disability pension. Return to work peaks at 2 years after diagnosis.


India is Australia's fourth largest export market and investment destination, and fifth largest trading partner, with access to a large and youthful market of 1.4 billion population. In 2018, India was the second largest source of skilled professionals after the UK and third largest source of immigrants after the UK and New Zealand. Increasing number of Indian nationals and businesses are choosing Australia as a destination of choice for education, tourism and for doing business. The Independent India Economic Strategy – 2035 was launched on 22 November 2018 for promoting bilateral trade and export market for Australian goods, services, and investment opportunities for mutual economic benefit. This chapter examines the economic significance of bilateral trade relationship between Australia and India and opportunities and challenges faced by the two countries with focus on education, tourism, health, agri-business, alternative energy, and mining sectors to meet the demand and supply gap and the sustainable development goals.


Objective: To assess whether the quality of reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies has improved since the publication of the Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy studies (STARD statement). Methods: The quality of reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies published in 12 medical journals in 2000 (pre-STARD) and 2004 (post-STARD) was evaluated by two reviewers independently. For each article, the number of reported STARD items was counted (range 0 to 25). Differences in completeness of reporting between articles published in 2000 and 2004 were analyzed, using multilevel analyses. Results: We included 124 articles published in 2000 and 141 articles published in 2004. Mean number of reported STARD items was 11.9 (range 3.5 to 19.5) in 2000 and 13.6 (range 4.0 to 21.0) in 2004, an increase of 1.81 items (95% CI: 0.61 to 3.01). Articles published in 2004 reported the following significantly more often: methods for calculating test reproducibility of the index test (16% vs 35%); distribution of the severity of disease and other diagnoses (23% vs 53%); estimates of variability of diagnostic accuracy between subgroups (39% vs 60%); and a flow diagram (2% vs 12%). Conclusions: The quality of reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies has improved slightly over time, without a more pronounced effect in journals that adopted the STARD statement. As there is still room for improvement, editors should mention the use of the STARD statement as a requirement in their guidelines for authors, and instruct reviewers to check the STARD items. Authors should include a flow diagram in their manuscript.


Organizing and providing access to the resources on the internet has been a problem area in spite of the availability of sophisticated search engines and other software tools. There have been several attempts to organize the resources on the WWW. Some of them have tried to use traditional Library Classification Schemes such as the Library of Congress Classification, the Dewey Decimal Classification and others. However there is a need to assign proper subject headings to them and present them in a logical or hierarchical sequence to cater to the need for browsing. This paper attempts to describe an experimental system designed to organize and provide access to web documents using a faceted pre-coordinate indexing system based on the Deep Structure Indexing System (DSIS) derived from POPSI (POstulate based Permuted Subject Indexing) of Bhattacharya, and the facet analysis and chain indexing system of Ranganathan. A prototype software system has been designed to create a database of records specifying Web documents according to the Dublin Core and input a faceted subject heading according to DSIS. Synonymous terms are added to the standard terms in the heading using appropriate symbols. Once the data is entered along with a description and URL of the Web document, the record is stored in the system. More than one faceted subject heading can be assigned to a record depending on the content of the original document. The system stores the surrogates and keeps the faceted subject headings separately after establishing a link. Search is carried out on index entries derived from the faceted subject heading using chain indexing technique. If a single term is input, the system searches for its presence in the faceted subject headings and displays the subject headings in a sorted sequence reflecting an organizing sequence. If the number of retrieved headings is too large (running into more than a page) then the user has the option of entering another search term to be searched in combination. The system searches subject headings already retrieved and look for those containing the second term. The retrieved faceted subject headings can be displayed and browsed. When the relevant subject heading is selected the system displays the records with their URLs. Using the URL the original document on the web can be accessed. The prototype system developed under Windows NT environment using ASP and web server is under rigorous testing. The database and indexes management routines need further development. * Director, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathumthani, Thailand. ** Computer Science & Information Management, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathumthani, Thailand


Infections were examined as possible risk factors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in a population-based case-control study in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Incident cases (n = 694) had no history of HIV infection or transplantation. Controls (n = 694) were randomly selected from electoral rolls and frequency matched to cases by age, sex, and area of residence. A postal questionnaire and telephone interview measured history of specific infections, occupational exposures, and behavioral and other risk factors for infection. Blood samples were tested for antibodies to human T-lymphotrophic virus type I and hepatitis C virus. Logistic regression models included the three matching variables and ethnicity. There was no association between risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and any of the variables analyzed, including sexually transmitted infections, sexual behavior, blood transfusions, influenza, acne, and either occupational or domestic exposure to zoonotic infections. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk was nonsignificantly elevated (odds ratio, 2.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-11.51) for those with a history of injecting drug use. Three cases and two controls (odds ratio, 1.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-7.98) tested positive to hepatitis C virus infection and none tested positive to human T-lymphotrophic virus type I/II infection. This study provides consistent evidence that sexually transmitted infections and zoonoses are not risk factors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(6):1102–8)


Neurodevelopment
Throughout life, new neurons are added to the brain. Just like people arriving late to a cocktail party, the newbies need to figure out how to integrate with those already embroiled in conversations. The zebrafish brain, already capable of complex visual processing at larval stages, accepts new neurons throughout the fish life span. Boulanger-Weill et al. tracked the location, movement, and functional integration of single newborn neurons in developing zebrafish larvae. Following their own developmental trajectories, newborn neurons began with limited dendritic arbors, no neurotransmitter identity, and spontaneous, but not directed, activity. As each neuron matured, its activity began to parallel that of its more mature neighbors. Spatial tuning curves shifted with further maturation, keeping the overall visual response in balance. Bringing new neurons into the fold seems to require synaptic connection with mature neurons already in place.

Curr. Biol. 27 , 1707 (2017).


In this paper, we compose a new task for deep argumentative structure analysis that goes beyond shallow discourse structure analysis. The idea is that argumentative relations can reasonably be represented with a small set of predefined patterns. For example, using value judgment and bipolar causality, we can explain a support relation between two argumentative segments as follows: Segment 1 states that something is good, and Segment 2 states that it is good because it promotes something good when it happens. We are motivated by the following questions: (i) how do we formulate the task?, (ii) can a reasonable pattern set be created?, and (iii) do the patterns work? To examine the task feasibility, we conduct a three-stage, detailed annotation study using 357 argumentative relations from the argumentative microtext corpus, a small, but highly reliable corpus. We report the coverage of explanations captured by our patterns on a test set composed of 270 relations. Our coverage result of 74.6% indicates that argumentative relations can reasonably be explained by our small pattern set. Our agreement result of 85.9% shows that a reasonable inter-annotator agreement can be achieved. To assist with future work in computational argumentation, the annotated corpus is made publicly available.


Abstract At present, concentrations of pharmaceuticals in surface and ground waters are low; however, even low concentrations of certain substances may prove very harmful. One of such pharmaceutical drugs is diclofenac, a popular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). For this reason, it is important to determine its mobility in groundwater and to estimate parameters of migration. Authors conducted column tests for two porous media: an artificial one, consisting of glass granules, and a natural one, i.e., sandur sand obtained from a site north of the city of Poznań (Poland). During the test, impulse breakthrough curves of chloride ions and diclofenac were recorded. The results were used to identify a specific sorption model and to determine values of migration parameters. Solutions of the inverse problem using optimisation methods and of equations of mathematical migration models were carried out in a MATLAB environment. Based on test results, the mobility of diclofenac is shown to be very high and comparable to that of chloride ions. The tests also revealed a slight and irreversible sorption of diclofenac on grains of both porous media.


A 25-year-old female with no remarkable medical or family history presented with sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a defect in intraventricular septum, and a loose mass image was observed on the septal cuspis of tricuspid valve. A total of 6 blood cultures were taken, one bottle of blood culture from each arm of the patient for three consecutive days. All bottles yielded growth of Neisseria animaloris. All isolates were identified by PhoenixTM 100 (Becton Dickinson, Diagnostic Instrument System, Sparks, MD, USA), and the identification was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) (Bruker Daltonik, Bremen, Germany). Antibiotic susceptibility results were studied by gradient diffusion method, and interpreted as resistant to penicillin G and susceptible to ceftriaxone by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) 2013 standards for N. meningitidis. No risk factor such as animal contact or bite, and tooth or gum problems was detected in the patient evaluation because of the feature of the causative agent. Definitive infective endocarditis was diagnosed according to modified Duke criteria because of fever, infective endocarditis-prone cardiac condition and pulmonary embolism, vegetation in echocardiography and growth in consecutive blood cultures. Although there are some reports that N. animaloris causes wound infections in the cases bitten by a dog or a cat, there is no information about it as a causative agent for infective endocarditis. Our case is the only case of infective endocarditis that is caused by N. animaloris. Klimik Dergisi 2018; 31(2): 161-4.


They are selected because they are—or could be—as good as agricultural scientists anywhere. They are groomed in leadership, and conduct research into problems facing their individual countries. They still face an enemy—the perception that African women agricultural scientists can't lead in innovation. Even as these experts continue to struggle for opportunities to advance their careers, they know that they are capable of bursting age-old stereotypes.


Background and aims : Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is known as a health threat. In Iran CVD is the first leading cause of death. The more prevalence of cardiovascular risks factor leads to the higher prevalence of CVD. Previous studies revealed CVD prevention depends on healthy lifestyle. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among occupational population of the Isfahan Electricity Production and Distribution Worker (IEPW) and to plan a strategy for CVD prevention. Methods : This cross-sectional study was conducted on all 585 occupational populations of IEPD in 1387. Data was based on questionnaire including demographic characteristics, medical history, and physical examination. Gender, age, education, occupation, married statues, smoking, and physical activity were considered in demographic characteristic, CVD risk factors and non-communicable disease history in medical history, and height, weight, waist circumstance, hip circumstance, and blood pressure in physical examination. FBS, total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG were tested for each person. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 15. Results : The findings showed that 4.2% had high FBS, 33.3% high LDL-C, 48.2% high total cholesterol, 26.4% low HDL-C, and 51% high TG. Obesity was seen in 13.6%, overweight in 46.7%, abdominal obesity in 42.8%, and physical inactivity in 75%. In addition, 16.4% were current smoker and 5.8% of were ex-smoker. Discussion : considering nearly high prevalence of CVD risk factors in occupational population, recognition of CVD risk factors could provide an intervention program to prevent CVD in this company and maybe in other companies.


In its most basic form, GPS systems provide a vehicle operator with the vehicle's position in latitude and longitude. A mapping program is usually integrated, which correlates the vehicle's position with the location of landmarks. Routing programs (similar to the commonly used Internet driving directions) are generally added to give vehicle operators directions to their destination. The central component of a tracking system is a GPS unit with the ability to locate a container, truck, or railcar carrying a food shipment. Tracking systems use GPS data to determine the shipment's location, then store that information and share it in some manner with the shipping management, and—in case of trouble—can be made available to law enforcement. Basic in-truck GPS tracking systems simply record the location—and perhaps the direction of travel and speed—of the vehicle. The limitation to these systems is that the trailer and its cargo are not directly tracked. If the trailer is separated from the tractor, further information about its location is lost. In these basic GPS tracking systems, location data is downloaded when the truck arrives at its destination. If the trailer is lost, stolen, or abandoned in transit, it cannot be located with this type of system. Trailer tracking systems differ from truck tracking systems in that each trailer or cargo container has its own self-contained, independent GPS tracking unit. Many tracking systems send data with cell phone transmitters that are built into the system. As cell users know, there are still many portions of this country where coverage is lacking, and coverage may be even sparser in Mexico and Central America. When the truck enters one of these unserved areas, no data can be transmitted. Some of the benefits of trailer tracking systems include: (1) Detection of tampering, schedule discrepancies, and unauthorized stops; (2) Increased customer comfort from knowing that their shipment can be located at any time; (3) More precise scheduling of deliveries offers customers the opportunity for savings, efficiencies, and fewer halts in production; and (4) Monitoring breakdowns, equipment failures, operator neglect, and accidents.


We report a fascinating phenomenon that emerges when a surface is viewed through a tube held close to one eye, with the other eye open. The disk-shaped area seen through the tube looks strikingly brighter and, when viewed on a textured background, also of higher spatial contrast than the same surface area viewed without a tube. The effect is reminiscent of a spotlight illuminating the area under consideration. We call this the 'tube effect'. The tube effect is one of the strongest contrast illusions known to us. It requires a matching luminance that is twice as high as the reference luminance seen through the tube. Brightness ratings increase linearly with the log of the background luminance. The effect (i) produces a dark afterimage, (ii) reverses in polarity with low ambient illumination, (iii) assumes the complementary colour of the illuminant, and (iv) persists with fully dilated pupils. Potential explanations include simultaneous contrast (due to the penumbra and dark inner walls of the tube) and veiling of the surround (due to local adaptation and a lower gain factor).


Information communication technology (ICT) is becoming a pivotal element in the twenty-first century, and while there has been substantial work conducted to understand ICT use by older adults, there is a paucity of knowledge relating to ICT use and behavior by Millennials. The Technology 4 Young Adults (T4YA) study opens the discussion to the barriers and enablers of ICT by Millennials in their day-to-day activities. Eight participants aged 18–33 years were recruited, and open-ended questions were posed to the focus groups participants. A total of three focus groups were conducted, two focus groups were conducted in Pontefract (West Yorkshire, England) and one focus group was conducted in Swansea (West Glamorgan, Wales); all focus groups were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Primary themes included: hardware, privacy issues/concerns, confidence, usability/functionality, day-to-day activities, and content/sharing of information. Day-to-day activities were undertaken primarily on smartphones, such as online banking and shopping, while privacy and trust concerns was a conversation thread throughout the discussions. Further work is needed with larger sample sizes, taking a multi-methods approach to extract quantitative data to underpin qualitative data analysis and frameworks. This exploratory study intersects at the fields of social sciences and human–computer interaction.


The concept of proto-industrialization is considered by many historians to have outlived its usefulness. This article seeks to argue the contrary, using a case study from Catalonia, in southern Europe, which provides a rare example of early industrialization on the periphery of Europe. Using an in-depth study of an important proto-industrial community, Igualada, the article puts forward two key arguments. First, it shows how the proto-industrialization of the woollen industry and later the cotton industry shaped the transition to the factory. There were important continuities throughout in terms of human capital and organization of production; in particular, the persistence of the family as unit of production. Second, the impact of proto-industrialization on the family economy is shown to have had important consequences for demographic behaviour. As in other areas of Europe, there was a notable impact on age at marriage and on marital fertility. Equally important, however, was the impact on mortality and migration, aspects that have been neglected by historians. In particular, the high infant and child mortality rates for Igualada suggest that historians need to rethink the effect of proto-industrialization upon life chances.


The transition from quiescence (G0) into the cell division cycle is marked by accelerated phospholipid turnover. We examined the rates of phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis and the activity, membrane affinity, and intracellular localization of the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of PC, CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT) during this transition. The addition of serum to quiescent IIC9 fibroblasts resulted in a wave of PC synthesis beginning at ∼10 min, peaking at ∼3 h with a >10-fold increase in rate, and declining to near basal rates by 10 h. CT activity, monitored in situ, was elevated ∼3-fold between 1 and 2 h postserum. Neither CT mass nor its phosphorylation state changed during the surge in PC synthesis and CT activity. On the other hand, the ratio of particulate/soluble CT surged and then receded in concert with the wave of PC synthesis. During quiescence, CT was confined to the nucleus, as assessed by indirect immunofluorescence. Within 10 min after serum stimulation, a portion of the CT fluorescence appeared in the cytoplasm, where it intensified until ∼4 h postserum. Thereafter, the cytoplasmic CT signal waned, while the nuclear signal increased, and by 8 h CT was once again predominantly nuclear. The dynamics of CT's apparent translocation in and out of the nucleus paralleled the wave of PC synthesis and the solubility changes of CT. Cytoplasmic CT co-localized with BiP, a resident endoplasmic reticulum protein, in a double labeling experiment. These data suggest that the wave of PC synthesis that accompanies the G0 → G1 transition is regulated by the coordinated changes in CT activity, membrane affinity, and intracellular distribution. We describe for the first time a redistribution of CT from the nucleus to the ER that correlates with an activation of the enzyme. We propose that this movement is required for the stimulation of PC synthesis during entry into the cell cycle.


This chapter details the design, synthesis and evaluation techniques required to produce healable supramolecular materials. Key developments in supramolecular polymer chemistry that laid down the design concepts necessary to produce responsive materials are summarized. Subsequently, select examples from the literature concerning the synthesis and analysis of healable materials containing hydrogen bonding, π−π stacking and metal–ligand interactions are evaluated. The last section describes the most recent efforts to produce healable gels for niche applications, including electrolytes and tissue engineering scaffolds. The chapter also describes the design criteria and production of nano-composite materials that exhibit dramatically increased strength compared to previous generations of supramolecular materials, whilst still retaining the key healing characteristics.


A scaling form for the local susceptibility, derived from renormalization group arguments, is proposed. The scale over which the uniform part of this scaling form varies can be viewed as a definition of the Kondo ``screening cloud" $\sim \xi_K$. The proposed scaling form interpolates between Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) results in the high temperature limit, $T\gg T_K$, and Fermi liquid results in the low temperature, long-distance limit, $T\ll T_K$, $r\gg \xi_K$. The predicted form of the Knight shift is longer range at low temperatures where the screening cloud has formed, than at high temperatures where it has not. Using weak and strong coupling perturbation theory combined with large scale density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) results we study the validity of the finite size version of the scaling form at $T=0$. We explicitly extract a length scale proportional to the Kondo length scale, $\xi_K$. The numerical results are in good agreement with the proposed scaling form and confirm the existence of the Kondo screening cloud.


The implementation of latest International Maritime Organization emission standard raised stringent requirements for marine domestic sewage discharge. In this study, an air-lift multilevel circulation membrane reactor (AMCMBR) was operated to analyze effects of various ecological factors on effluent of marine domestic sewage. Back-propagation (BP)-Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was used to simulate effect of each ecological factor on reactor performance. The activities of four enzymes were investigated to reveal microbial activities in reactor. Experimental results indicates that the Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT), Mixed Liquid Suspended Solids (MLSS) and pH value cannot be less than 4 h, 3000 mg/L and 6, respectively to meet the IMO emission standard for effluent COD. A small value of mean square error (0.00147) indicated that BP-ANN can well describe the relationship between operation parameters (influent COD, HRT, MLSS, and pH) and effluent COD. The order of relative importance was pH ≈ MLSS > HRT > influent COD. Polyphenol oxidase and urease can serve as indicating factors for reactor performance, whereas dehydrogenase and nitrate reductase showed less susceptible towards varied influent COD and MLSS.


the Government White Paper I agree with the editorial by Bass & Murphy (April 1990 JRSM, p 203) in calling for research on somatization before the Government's imposition of the White Paper compounds the problems of coping with chronic somatizers. However, I would like to comment on two challenges to research in this area. Firstly, abnormal illness behaviour covers a broad spectrum of doctor-patient relationships from malingerers who concoct symptoms for their own benefit, to patients who have no conscious control over their functional symptoms and gain no obvious advantage from them. These polar groups illustrate the complexities of attempting to delineate and understand this behaviour. Whether somatization disorder is a useful step in this direction is debatable. We found the arbitrary diagnostic criteria! excluded individuals with more severe abnormal illness behaviour than the somatization disorder patients, in terms of frequent GP consultations, multiple hospital referrals, and being poor copers with life in general. We concluded that the concept of somatization disorder had little value in British primary care'', Secondly, somatization disorder does not delineate a group of patients who always present with symptoms in the absence of organic disease. Consultation rates for organic and non-organic problems are highly correlated" raising the possibility that these patients often have disease as well as illness, albeit with a lower threshold ofsymptom tolerance before attending the GP. For example, one of the patients I investigated


The prefeasibility study of a biomass fuelled CHP based on a steam Rankine cycle employing back-pressure process proposed to utilize apple pruning residues as biomass sources to obtain bioenergy in Isparta Province was carried out. Since Eğirdir has the highest apple production among the districts of Isparta province, it is reasonable to build biomass fuelled CHP plant in Eğirdir district. Therefore, economical analysis was conducted for the catchment area with the radius of 59 km taking Eğirdir district as the central point. Both equations and data used to calculate the capital and operating cost of biomass CHP plants were obtained from the available literature. The production of electrical and heat energy, and revenues were evaluated. The economic viability of 7.8 MWe CHP plant was evaluated based on the net present value (NPV), benefit-to-cost ratio (B/C ratio), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period (PBP) considering electricity purchase prices of 0.066 euro cent/kWh and heat sale price of 0.0225 euro cent/kWh. It has been concluded that certain financial mechanisms have to be put into effect, such as increasing market price of electricity produced from CHP plants to give an incentive to producers, as well as fundraising to support construction of CHP plants, and offering both long-term credits and tax breaks for investors.


So-called club drugs, psychoactive substances by definition related to rave and private parties culture, have a strong social impact in terms of health risks, especially for their spread among adolescents and young adults. In addition, polydrug use is a common pattern of consumption in some subcultures, such as the ravers culture. This study explores characteristics, consumption profiles, contexts of use, motives, and levels of satisfaction with life in a sample of synthetic/hallucinogenic substance users.We administered an ad hoc questionnaire to 37 Italian participants (62.2% males) recruited through several rave events in the city of Bologna.The results showed that consumers choose substances belonging to the same "family," such as methamphetamines (MDMA and speed) and psychedelic substances (ketamine and LSD), for specific and contextual motives. The findings are discussed in light of the target sample's socioeconomic conditions, consumer profiles, features of the rave context, and dissatisfaction with some areas of life.


Foreign direct investment (FDI) can benefit innovation activity in the host country via spillover channels such as reverse engineering, skilled labor turnovers, demonstration effects, and supplier-customer relationships. Using provincial data from 1995 to 2000, we find positive effects of FDI on the number of domestic patent applications in China. This finding is robust under both pooled time-series and cross-section data estimation and panel data analysis and for different types of patent applications (invention, utility model, and external design). The spillover effect is the strongest for minor innovation such as external design patent, highlighting a "demonstration effect" of FDI.


This article describes how the employees and managers in the Swedish and Indian offices of a European-based MNC work towards new governance models in IT offshoring relations. The focus is on the differences in organizational cultures between Sweden and India and their impact on the management of and cooperation within distributed teams. Most research on IT offshoring has been conducted on US-Indian and British-Indian cooperations, where the US and British organizational cultures are more similar to the hierarchical Indian one. As a complement to the existing research, the flat and consensus-oriented Swedish organizational culture is of particular interest when studying organizational issues in IT offshoring to India. The empirical material consists of 103 qualitative interviews with employees and managers at different levels in the Swedish and Indian offices of a European-based MNC. The results show that in addition to problems commonly faced in IT offshoring, such as resistance to offshoring and language problems (accentuated in the non-English-speaking context of Sweden), the differences in organizational cultures caused particular problems. Swedish managers were used to delegating work to subordinates who work independently towards an internalized goal, while Indian team members expected more guidance and control. As their proven management methods did not function well in the Indian context, Swedish managers needed to invent a management style that worked. The differences in the cultures also led to conflicts concerning recruitment and attrition issues. However, the Swedish company culture, where the Swedish team members viewed the Indian team members as colleagues, facilitated mutual organizational learning which led to satisfactory cooperation. This article uses the framework of Wenger (1998) to explain 1) what problems members of communities in practice in the consensus-oriented Swedish organizational culture encounter when cooperating with India, and the solutions they find and 2) what kind of prerequisites are needed for an on-site team of 'old-timers' to be willing to integrate offshore 'newcomers' for cooperative work and transfer of tacit knowledge.


The evolution of reperfusion treatment has permitted an improvement in the prognosis and survival of patients with Acute myocardial infarction with ST elevation. The benefit of thrombolitic therapy was demonstrated clearly starting with the first trials of ISIS 2. It was also demonstrated this benefit is greater when the thrombolitic is combined with aspirin. Other trials have arisen like GUSTO I and TIMI 14, which have continued with the search for the best strategy of reperfusion, demonstrating that the pharmacologic combination with fibrinolitic, antiplatelet and antithrombinics provides the best results regarding permeability of the epicardic artery and transmiocardic reperfusion. Finally the mechanical reperfusion has managed to improve the results obtained with the pharmacologic treatment. Nevertheless it is probably that the Angioplasty with fibrinolitic and antiplatelet therapy is a useful treatment strategy, available for the patient with acute coronary syndrome with ST elevation. In light of the latest studies we must be very cautious, but based on the knowledge of the physiopathology of these syndromes, we think there is still much to discover.


Abstract. Documenting the relevant aspects in digitisation processes such as photogrammetry in order to provide a robust provenance for their products continues to present a challenge. The creation of a product that can be re-used scientifically requires a framework for consistent, standardised documentation of the entire digitisation pipeline. This article provides an analysis of the problems inherent to such goals and presents a series of protocols to document the various steps of a photogrammetric workflow. We propose this pipeline, with descriptors to track all phases of digital product creation in order to assure data provenance and enable the validation of the operations from an analytic and production perspective. The approach aims to support adopters of the workflow to define procedures with a long term perspective. The conceptual schema we present is founded on an analysis of information and actor exchanges in the digitisation process. The metadata were defined through the synthesis of previous proposals in this area and were tested on a case study. We performed the digitisation of a set of cultural heritage artefacts from an Iron Age burial in Ilmendorf, Germany. The objects were captured and processed using different techniques, including a comparison of different imaging tools and algorithms. This augmented the complexity of the process allowing us to test the flexibility of the schema for documenting complex scenarios. Although we have only presented a photogrammetry digitisation scenario, we claim that our schema is easily applicable to a multitude of 3D documentation processes.


God in conversation – A dialogical Christology.  A world view claims to give a true picture of reality. As the insights of the sciences change our picture of reality, theology must take the new views on the world serious to maintain its integrity and the Gospel its credibility. The aim of this article is to rethink our faith in Christ (Christology) in the light of the new consciousness of the engagement between human beings and the cosmos. I would like to argue that a dynamic-dialogical (second-person) approach is the best way to be true to the Biblical message in regard to the evolutionary world view. Human beings become part of God's ongoing activity in the world in and through the Logos incarnated in Jesus Christ. The consciousness of Jesus of Nazareth of God as his Father is the starting point in the relationship and communication between God, man and the community of faith in a dialogical Christology. The aim of this relational communication is to transform human beings and the world to fulfil God's destiny for the whole of creation. As such, a dialogical Christology focuses on salvation as an individual and cosmic salvation. The cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ are central in the dialogue between God, human beings and the world. The Holy Spirit guides the community of believers in this dialogue through the Bible and the sacraments, prayer and contemplation to live in the presence of God and to make a difference in an ever-changing world. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications:  The aim of this article is to rethink, within the discplines of Systematic Theology and New Testament, our faith in Christ (Christology) in the light of the new consciousness of the engagement between human beings and the cosmos.


Axial turbines are being extensively designed for supercritical carbon-di-oxide (S-CO2) Brayton cycle power blocks. But very little information is available in the open literature on the aerodynamics of S-CO2 axial turbines, their aerofoils and loss mechanisms. The understanding of real gas behavior of S-CO2 inside a turbine is still very far from complete. Profile losses contribute to more than 50% of overall losses in a turbine. Hence, estimation of profile losses at the outset of the design process is very important. In the present study, the mean section aerofoil of the first stage of a 5 MWe Brayton cycle high temperature turbine is investigated for profile loss characteristics. The basic aerodynamic characteristics of the aerofoil in a linear cascade were initially studied using CFD simulations and cascade test experiments with air as the fluid medium. The aerofoil cascade is then subjected to numerical simulations with S-CO2 as the fluid medium. CFD simulations were carried out using a commercial RANS solver with SST k-ω turbulence model for closure. Air was modelled as ideal gas and S-CO2 was modelled as real gas with Refrigerant Gas Property tables generated over the appropriate pressure and temperature ranges using NIST Refprop database. Losses are also calculated using Craig and Cox loss model. Experiments were carried out by testing a linear cascade model comprising 12 two dimensional blades, in a high-speed cascade wind tunnel. Cascade tests were carried out over a range of exit Mach numbers and incidence angles with air as the working medium. Losses, flow deflection and blade loading were measured during the experiments. Scaling of the profile losses between air and S-CO2 fluid mediums were examined over a range of Mach numbers, Reynolds numbers and incidence angles. Detailed analysis of data generated from numerical simulations, experiments and loss model (mainly in the transonic regime) are discussed in this paper. Losses with S-CO2 was 1.5% lower than that of air while the flow deflection roughly remained the same.


Skeletal muscle has emerged as one of the most important tissues involved in regulating systemic metabolism. The gastrocnemius is a powerful skeletal muscle composed of predominantly glycolytic fast‐twitch fibers that are preferentially lost among old age. This decrease in gastrocnemius muscle mass is remarkable during aging; however, the underlying molecular mechanism is not fully understood. Strikingly, there is a ~70% decrease in Cisd2 protein, a key regulator of lifespan in mice and the disease gene for Wolfram syndrome 2 in humans, within the gastrocnemius after middle age among mice. A proteomics approach was used to investigate the gastrocnemius of naturally aged mice, and this was compared to the autonomous effect of Cisd2 on gastrocnemius aging using muscle‐specific Cisd2 knockout (mKO) mice as a premature aging model. Intriguingly, dysregulation of calcium signaling and activation of UPR/ER stress stand out as the top two pathways. Additionally, the activity of Serca1 was significantly impaired and this impairment is mainly attributable to irreversibly oxidative modifications of Serca. Our results reveal that the overall characteristics of the gastrocnemius are very similar when naturally aged mice and the Cisd2 mKO mice are compared in terms of pathological alterations, ultrastructural abnormalities, and proteomics profiling. This suggests that Cisd2 mKO mouse is a unique model for understanding the aging mechanism of skeletal muscle. Furthermore, this work substantiates the hypothesis that Cisd2 is crucial to the gastrocnemius muscle and suggests that Cisd2 is a potential therapeutic target for muscle aging.


Metabolic causes such as hypercalciuria, urinary tract infection, and obstruction are the most common aetiologies of urolithiasis, and drugs, although important in this regard, are rarely the cause of urolithiasis. Administration of one of these drugs, ceftriaxone (CTX), has been associated with biliary pseudolithiasis in adult and paediatric patients, and rarely may cause urolithiasis. Several factors, including drug concentration and incubation time, are very important for determining the degree of CTX/calcium (Ca) crystallisation in the urine. According to this data, CTX crystallisation was a dose and time-dependent reaction. It is particularly important to monitor patients on high-dose long-term CTX treatment with the urinary Ca to creatinine ratios, ultrasound sonography, and renal function testing, as these individuals may be at greater risk of large stones and renal damage. This type of screening may help prevent permanent complications in the future. This underlying review will help to educate readers on the pathophysiology and interaction between CTX and urolithiasis.


We consider the solution of very large systems of linear equations with direct multifrontal methods. In this context the size of the factors is an important limitation for the use of sparse direct solvers. We will thus assume that the factors have been written on the local disks of our target multiprocessor machine during parallel factorization. Our main focus is the study and the design of efficient approaches for the forward and backward substitution phases after a sparse multifrontal factorization. These phases involve sparse triangular solution and have often been neglected in previous works on sparse direct factorization. In many applications, however, the time for the solution can be the main bottleneck for the performance. This thesis consists of two parts. The focus of the first part is on optimizing the out-of-core performance of the solution phase. The focus of the second part is to further improve the performance by exploiting the sparsity of the right-hand side vectors. In the first part, we describe and compare two approaches to access data from the hard disk. We then show that in a parallel environment the task scheduling can strongly influence the performance. We prove that a constraint ordering of the tasks is possible; it does not introduce any deadlock and it improves the performance. Experiments on large real test problems (more than 8 million unknowns) using an out-of-core version of a sparse multifrontal code called MUMPS (MUltifrontal Massively Parallel Solver) are used to analyse the behaviour of our algorithms. In the second part, we are interested in applications with sparse multiple right-hand sides, particularly those with single nonzero entries. The motivating applications arise in electromagnetism and data assimilation. In such applications, we need either to compute the null space of a highly rank deficient matrix or to compute entries in the inverse of a matrix associated with the normal equations of linear least-squares problems. We cast both of these problems as linear systems with multiple right-hand side vectors, each containing a single nonzero entry. We describe, implement and comment on efficient algorithms to reduce the input-output cost during an outof- core execution. We show how the sparsity of the right-hand side can be exploited to limit both the number of operations and the amount of data accessed. The work presented in this thesis has been partially supported by SOLSTICE ANR project (ANR-06-CIS6-010).


The field of leadership has often been criticized for excluding voices that are not White and male. Not only are women - specifically Black women - poorly represented in leadership positions and the field's knowledge base, they are vastly underrepresented in the actual content of leadership courses and texts. This book analyzes the transformational leadership, servant leadership, and social justice leadership found in the lives of Fannie Lou Hamer, Septima Clark, Mary McLeod Bethune, Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, and Audre Lorde. The book not only chronicles the careers and professional contributions of these women, but also uses these leadership models as units of analysis to highlight their effective leadership herstories to inform current practice. As African American women who embodied the history, politics, and educational aspirations of an otherwise oppressed people, an analysis of their lived experiences and leadership roles creates a distinctive theoretical and methodological application to leadership theory and practice. These women advanced their ideas and theories about leadership through their personal, political, and social activism. Examining their lives results in a more complete picture of the effects of race, sexuality, and class and how they are related to current practice in leadership. Herstories provides an important (re)visioning of leadership theory by documenting the leadership lives of six strong black women.


Passenger vehicle turbochargers (TCs) offer increased engine power and efficiency in an ever-competitive marketplace. Turbochargers operate at high rotational speeds and use engine oil to lubricate fluid-film-bearing supports (radial and axial). However, TCs are prone to large amplitudes of subsynchronous shaft motion over wide ranges of their operating speed. Linear rotordynamic tools cannot predict the amplitudes and multiple frequency shaft motions. A comprehensive nonlinear rotordynamics model coupled to a complete fluid-film-bearing model solves in real time the dynamics of automotive turbochargers. The computational design tool predicts the limit cycle response for several inner and outer film clearances and operating conditions including rotor speed and lubricant feed pressure. Substantial savings in product development and prototype testing are the benefits of the present development. The paper presents predictions of the linear and nonlinear shaft motion of an automotive turbocharger supported on a semi-floating ring bearing. The shaft motion predictions are compared to measurements of shaft motion at the compressor nose for speeds up to 240 krpm, and for lubricant inlet pressure of 4 bar at 150°C. Linear and nonlinear rotordynamic models reproduce very well the test data for synchronous response to imbalance. The nonlinear results show two subsynchronous whirl frequencies whose large magnitudes agree well with the measurements. A large side load predicted for this turbocharger must be considered for accurate prediction of the rotordynamic response.


This study presents the modification of cassava root husk-derived biochar (CRHB) with ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) for the simultaneous adsorption of As(iii), Cd(ii), Pb(ii) and Cr(vi). By conducting batch-mode experiments, it was concluded that 3% w/w was the best impregnation ratio for the modification of CRHB using ZnO-NPs, and was denoted as CRHB-ZnO3 in this study. The optimal conditions for heavy metal adsorption were obtained at a pH of 6–7, contact time of 60 min, and initial metal concentration of 80 mg L−1. The heavy metal adsorption capacities onto CRHB-ZnO3 showed the following tendency: Pb(ii) > Cd(ii) > As(iii) > Cr(vi). The total optimal adsorption capacity achieved in the adsorption of the 4 abovementioned metals reached 115.11 and 154.21 mg g−1 for CRHB and CRHB-ZnO3, respectively. For each Pb(ii), Cd(ii), As(iii), and Cr(vi) metal, the maximum adsorption capacities of CRHB-ZnO3 were 44.27, 42.05, 39.52, and 28.37 mg g−1, respectively, and those of CRHB were 34.47, 32.33, 26.42 and 21.89 mg g−1, respectively. In terms of kinetics, both the pseudo-first-order and the pseudo-second-order fit well with metal adsorption onto biochars with a high correlation coefficient of R2, while the best isothermal description followed the Langmuir model. As a result, the adsorption process of heavy metals onto biochars was chemisorption on homogeneous monolayers, which was mainly controlled by cation exchange and surface precipitation mechanisms due to enriched oxygen-containing surface groups with ZnO-NP modification of biochar. The FTIR and EDS analysis data confirmed the important role of oxygen-containing surface groups, which significantly contributed to removal of heavy metals with extremely high adsorption capacities, comparable with other studies. In conclusion, due to very high adsorption capacities for metal cations, the cassava root husk-derived biochar modified with ZnO-NPs can be applied as the alternative, inexpensive, non-toxic and highly effective adsorbent in the removal of various toxic cations.


The efficiency‐limiting recombination mechanism in bulk‐heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells is a current topic of investigation and debate in organic photovoltaics. In this work, we simulate state‐of‐the‐art BHJ solar cells using two different models. The first model takes into account band‐to‐band recombination and field dependent carrier generation. The second model assumes a Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) recombination mechanism via tail states and field independent carrier generation. Additionally, we include in both cases optical modelling and, thus, position‐dependent exciton generation and non‐ideal exciton collection. We explore both recombination mechanisms by fitting light and dark current–voltage (JV) characteristics of BHJ cells of five materials: P3HT, MDMO‐PPV, MEH‐PPV, PCDTBT and PF10TBT, all blended with fullerene derivatives. We show that although main device parameters such as short circuit current, open circuit voltage, fill factor and ideality factor are accurately reproduced by both Langevin and tail recombination, only tail recombination reproduces also the ideality factor of dark characteristics accurately. Nevertheless, the model with SRH recombination via tail states needs the inclusion of external circuitry to account for the heavy shunt present in all the blends, except P3HT:PCBM, when illuminated. Finally, we propose a means to find analytical expressions for the short circuit current by assuming a linear relation between the recombination rate and the concentration of free minority carriers. The model reproduces experimental data of P3HT cells at various thickness values using realistic parameters for this material.


Objectives This report presents the development, plan, and operation of the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health, a module of the State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Funding was provided by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration. The survey was designed to produce national and state prevalence estimates of the physical and emotional health of children aged 0-17 years, as well as factors that may relate to child well-being including medical homes, family interactions, parental health, school and after-school experiences, and neighborhood characteristics.


on diagnostic criteria for mental disorder. Some believe, as in this American symposium, that all mental illnesses are simply variations in severity of a few basic disturbances ; they can, therefore, all be studied in the same way. On the other hand, others insist on a fundamental distinction between the minor personality disorders, the neuroses, and the major disorders, the psychoses. According to this view, the former are essentially variations of normal psychic life; the latter are disease-processes of, as yet, unknown somatic origin. Furthermore, there is little agreement on the diagnostic criteria of schizophrenia, an illness commonly studied in epidemiological investigations. One can reflect on the difficulties of epidemiological studies, of say, smallpox, plague or malaria if investigators were unsure of their clinical diagnoses. In fact, any-


A detailed numerical study was designed and conducted to estimate the absolute age and the uncertainty in age (with confidence limits) of the oldest globular clusters in our galaxy, and hence to put a robust lower bound on the age of the universe. Estimates of the uncertainty range and distribution in the input parameters of stellar evolution codes were used to produce 1000 Monte Carlo realizations of stellar isochrones, which were then used to derive ages for the 17 oldest globular clusters. A probability distribution for the mean age of these systems was derived by incorporating the observational uncertainties in the measured color-magnitude diagrams for these systems and the predicted isochrones. The dominant contribution to the width of the distribution (approximately ±5 percent) resulted from the observational uncertainty in RR-Lyrae variable absolute magnitudes. Subdominant contributions came from the choice of the color table used to translate theoretical luminosities and temperatures to observed magnitudes and colors, as well as from theoretical uncertainties in heavy element abundances and mixing length. The one-sided 95 percent confidence limit lower bound for this distribution occurs at an age of 12.07 × 109 years, and the median age for the distribution is 14.56 × 109 years. These age limits, when compared with the Hubble age estimate, put powerful constraints on cosmology.


In this article, I introduce the new command xtpedroni, which implements the Pedroni (1999, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 61: 653–670; 2004, Econometric Theory 20: 597–625) panel cointegration test and the Pedroni (2001, Review of Economics and Statistics 83: 727–731) group-mean panel-dynamic ordinary least-squares estimator. For nonstationary heterogeneous panels that are long (large T) and wide (large N), xtpedroni tests for cointegration among one or more regressors by using seven test statistics under the null of no cointegration, and it also estimates the cointegrating equation for each individual as well as the group mean of the panel. The test can include common time dummies and unbalanced panels.


Background Exposure to air pollution (gaseous pollutants and/or particulate matter) has been associated with the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Purpose To examine the quantitative relationship between air pollutant emissions and the incidence of T1D. Methods We examined the association between the incidence of T1D and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in 2017 as well as that of T1D in patients younger than 15 years in 2016 with "emissions of air-polluting substances from stationary and mobile sources by regions of the Russian Federation in 2016" as reported by the Federal Diabetes Register of Russia downloaded from the Russian government website (http://www.mnr.gov.ru/docs/gosudarstvennye_doklady/o_sostoyanii_i_ob_okhrane_okruzhayushchey_sredy_rossiyskoy_federatsii/). Results The incidence of T1D across all ages in each region of the Russian Federation correlated with the total air pollutants emitted in the region each year (r=0.278, P=0.013). The incidence of T2D was also correlated with the amount of air pollutants (r=0.234, P=0.037) and the incidence of T1D (r=0.600, P<0.001) in each country. Similarly, the incidence of T1D in patients younger than 15 years correlated with the total air pollutants emitted each year in each region (r=0.300, P=0.011). Conclusion The quantitative relationship between the total air pollutants emitted and the incidence of T1D and T2D in the Russian Federation suggests that air pollution contributes to the development of T1D and T2D.


The reaction between SiC and AlF3 has been investigated in CO atmosphere at high temperature. Experimental results are shown that the reaction intensity between SiC and AlF3 is accelerated with the rise of temperature. At the temperature of 950 (aluminum electrolytic operation temperature is 935±15), the reaction intensity of SiC and AlF3 is not high and the major reaction products are SiF4 gas and Al4C3; Al4C3 occur severe hydration at room temperature which leads to the pulverization of specimens. The unexpected cells stop should try to be avoided or reduced during the usage of Si3N4-bonded SiC sidewall brick in aluminum electrolysis cells because of Al4C3 existents possibly.